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News & Media > Waterways Services

28:03:2010

Project will make canal network more attractive

Important features of Wolverhampton’s industrial heritage are being revealed as May Gurney removes layers of graffiti from many of the city’s canal bridges.

The eight-week project, being undertaken by May Gurney in partnership with British Waterways and Wolverhampton City Council, will see graffiti removed from approximately half of the bridges along the city’s canal network.

The project will make the Wolverhampton canal network more attractive and reveal important heritage features to enable local communities to take greater pride in their environment.

The graffiti will be removed using a new technique aimed at protecting the brickwork of historic structures.

May Gurney will spray the bridges with a special gel to dissolve the paint before removing both the gel and the paint with jets of steam. A suction system will be used to capture the paint residue to ensure that the canal isn’t polluted.

The project is targeting bridges on the Birmingham Mainline and Staffordshire & Worcester Canals.

John Harris, British Waterways’ senior regeneration manager said: "This project will breathe new life into the region’s historic canal network.

“By removing the graffiti we hope to make the Wolverhampton canal network more welcoming and give people a sense of pride and ownership in their local canal, encouraging more families to go out and rediscover what it has to offer."

Click here to read the full waterscape.com news report.

Click here to read more about May Gurney's work in partnership with British Waterways.